Meadowlands hotel closing restaurant, laying off 70

The Crowne Plaza Secaucus-Meadowlands is closing its restaurant and laying off 70 employees, according to a filing with state officials.

A company identified as La Plaza, located at 2 Harmon Plaza, filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development last week. That is the address of the Crowne Plaza on the Hackensack River. The contact listed for La Plaza was Bernie Mendoza, who is general manager of the 304-room hotel.

The filing said the company was terminating 70 restaurant workers, effective Dec. 12.

The reason for the layoffs was listed as "closing the restaurant." The restaurant wasn't named in the filing.

But the Crowne Plaza's website said it has a restaurant called the Rivercove Restaurant. That eatery has a "spectacular river view with casual atmosphere offering Continental menu," according to the website. The site also noted that there is a cocktail lounge called the Rivercove Bar and Grille on the hotel premises.

On Tuesday, Mendoza declined to comment on the layoffs or what was happening with the restaurant. The hotel is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group, which couldn't be reached for comment.

The employees who are going to be terminated are represented by the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, Local 6. Union officials couldn't be reached for comment.